Former Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) National spokesperson and MP Dr Mbuyiseni Ndlozi has insisted that the red berets’ “entanglement” with former President Jacob Zuma and the Umkhonto Wesizwe (MKP) Party is the reason why the Julius Malema led party was drubbed at the May 29 general elections.

Speaking to SABC News earlier on Monday, February 10, Ndlozi said the association with Zuma led to distrust and electoral decline that saw the party shedding voters. 

He was speaking for the first time after the EFF sidelined him shortly after Floyd Shivambu, its former Deputy President, left to join the MK Party, shaking the foundation of South Africa’s fourth largest party.

It was during this interview that he revealed that he had resigned as an EFF member but would not join the MKP. Neither did he intend to do so. 

“You see, it’s now a matter of public record that our leadership has been engaged with President Zuma as well as the MKP for a very long time, a long time ago, my count is that over the last three to four years. It is that tactic of entanglement which in my view was responsible for the heavy losses as it were that we saw the EFF sustained in KwaZulu-Natal, in Gauteng, being overtaken in Mpumalanga as well as in the National Assembly (parliament),” Ndlozi said in apparent reference to EFF leadership meeting with Zuma, including the famous “Nkandla tea” in early 2021.

Ndlozi said the departure of Shivambu and former National Chairperson Advocate Dali Mpofu should have not rocked the party, adding that it was not like Shivambu had crossed the picket line and joined the enemy.

“Tactics of entanglement, we have already been entangled by the leadership itself and this entanglement in my view, which I think was a miscalculated tacting of entanglement should be understood for what rocked us in relation to the departure of the then deputy president (Floyd Shivambu and ultimately Bhuti Dali (Mpofu). It’s a matter of public record whether they tried to seek his endorsement, cooperation during the elections.

“You will recall that the leadership had on many occasions said we are one with the MKP or all of that. I think it’s really that, it has nothing to do with this or that position in the organisation. But seemingly the distrust that was invited in my view by the departure of the deputy president, which I think it shouldn’t because if you accept that you have already entangled us with the MKP, such occurrence shouldn’t have rocked us the way it did,” he added. 

Ndlozi revealed that after leaving parliament, he resigned as a member of the EFF since he would be venturing into space where he cannot afford to play a role in party politics. 

“I have left party politics, EFF is a political party… I have handed over my resignation as a member, it is because where I want to contribute I can’t hold a single party membership. But overall, I think I have made my contribution,” he said. 

He also gave a detailed account of why he did not attend the National People’s Assembly (conference) at Nasrec. According to him, he was suspended pending an investigation (that was never concluded) and he was told to stay away from party activities and in parliament.

“At a later stage the leadership argued that the report would only be ready after the conference and the matter is being referred to the leadership after the conference.”